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[SOS] Secretary of State Election Division sending out second round of postcards to continue voter list refresh

Start Date:

6/19/2014

All Day

End Date:

6/19/2014

Entry Description

Voters who receive this postcard must respond to confirm or update their voter registration information

INDIANAPOLIS (June 19, 2014) — This week, some Hoosier voters will start receiving postcards in the mail from the Secretary of State Election Division asking them to confirm their current address or update their voter registration information. Voters who receive this postcard must respond to ensure their voter registration information is accurate.

“Hoosiers deserve to know they have accurate voter lists,” said Secretary of State Connie Lawson. “Across the nation, more than 1.8 million deceased individuals are listed as voters and 2.75 million people have registrations in more than one state. Indiana is no different. Each election, my office gets calls from widowed spouses and parents whose child moved away from home years ago. They want to know why we didn’t take their loved one’s name off the rolls. While many find it upsetting to see a long gone loved one’s name on the poll list, it also undermines their faith in our elections. We must ensure that voters have confidence in the integrity of our elections.”

In May, the office sent postcards to all active Hoosier voters to identify outdated voter information. The office is now sending a second round of forwardable postcards to voters whose first postcard was returned as an undeliverable address, asking them to take action by confirming or updating their registration information. Hoosiers who receive a second postcard should fill it out and promptly return it to the Secretary of State Election Division.

Voters who received a second postcard have until July 24 to confirm or update their voter information. Voters who do not confirm or update their information will have their record put on the inactive list. Being on the inactive list does not mean a voter cannot vote. It simply means a voter’s record appears to have an incorrect address and the voter did not update or confirm their information. The voter will still be eligible to vote in November. If the voter casts a ballot from that address in November, their record will be reclassified as active. If they do not vote in November, they can still vote in the municipal elections of 2015 and the federal elections of 2016. If they do not vote in any election prior to January 2017, the county voter registration office may then remove them from the poll lists.

The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 requires regular voter list updating. Two federal election cycles (up to four years) must pass before a county may remove an inactive voter from the list. Federal law also says the state or county must attempt to contact the voter twice by mail before the voter’s record can be reclassified as inactive.

All voters are encouraged to check their voter registration information online at www.indianavoters.com or at their local county clerk’s office and update their information if necessary. Voters may contact the Secretary of State’s office with questions at 1-866-IN-1-VOTE, sos@sos.in.gov or 200 W. Washington Street Room 201, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

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